Combat athletes, especially mixed martial arts (MMA) practitioners, use gloves that generally are cumbersome, thick, non form-fitting and lack in adequate wrist and hand support. These conventional gloves quickly, and with repetitive use, lose the ability to maintain proper fit and function. This can lead to a decrease in force transfer and related hand and fist functioning and also can lead to injury. Another shortcoming of these conventional combat gloves is that, when the glove strikes a target or an opponent, the glove can be loose on the hand and the wrist portion of the glove can be unstable. This shortcoming can lead to improper bone alignment and thus an injury can be experienced by the athlete during training or at a competitive event.
Maintaining maximal force transmission in relation to striking force and grip strength are key factors in support performance during stand up or ground combat. Injury prevention is also of great importance to these athletes especially specific to protection related to the hands and fists. In particular, through repeated use and wear, the glove fit may become lose and inadequate to function properly.